Sold to the Devil
by Nickirem.Tetsuya.Zoldyck
Summary: Mafia AU: Kuroko Tetsuya, a freelance assassin, was blackmailed into assassinating Akashi Seijuro, the Mafia Lord of the ruthless underworld. And by an unstable alliance, can these two individuals find kinship in each other? "Love is but another game," Akashi murmured, "It is only the matter of who makes the first move." AkaKuro, GoM x Kuro
1. Prologue

Shoes tapped professionally on the marble floor of the building as a petite man strode calmly towards the door that dominated most of the wall at the end of the corridor. The man had a blank, steady mask of indifference plastered on his face as he made his way to the door. Upon reaching his destination, he rasped his knuckles on the heavy oak door once, not waiting for an answer before pushing open the wooden barrier that stood between him and his client.

The room was empty, save for a few bookshelves and a large desk in the middle. The petite man nodded at the other man sitting at the desk as a sign of respect. "It is not often that you call for me, Haizaki," the petite man murmured in a barely audible tone, "What could had bothered you so much that you need me?"

The man, now known as Haizaki, growled as he chewed on his cigarette. "Not what," the mafia head spat, "But _who_." His beady eyes narrowed even more as he thought of that man. "This is your next target," he threw a folder carelessly at the man opposite to him, knowing fully well that he would catch it. "I want him dead in ten days."

The assassin stared at the scowling man calmly for a split second, before opening the file given to him. On the front of the page was a man with hair as red as blood and sharp heterochromatic eyes. Pale blue eyes widened; it was Akashi Seijuro, the most intimidating figure in the underworld. "No," he stated firmly, "This is the only mission I will not accept." The assassin in no way wanted to cross the path of the redhead, much less than aim for his life. He knew what was best for himself, and he did not want to die simply because he was targeting the wrong man.

Every single person in the realms of the underworld knew of Akashi Seijuro. He was the man you never mess with; the man you must obey. Every single person alive knows to not disobey Akashi, those who didn't, were dead. The assassin shuddered; he still remember the gruesome remains of a skilled assassin who was sent to eliminate Akashi. He did not want the same end as… _that_.

Haizaki grinned, it made the assassin shudder. "I knew that this would happen, Kuroko," Haizaki laughed menacingly, "That's why I brought _this_ with me." He clicked his fingers, and the door was slowly opened by a servant.

Kuroko shook slightly at the sight presented to him; it was a man with grey hair, _his brother_, his posture limp between the arms of two burly bodyguards. "No," he murmured. He knew what was going to happen now, his brother's life was at stake. If he didn't complete the job… Kuroko didn't even want to think about what could happen to his precious sibling.

He turned to Haizaki, fighting down red hot rage as he tried to keep his head clear. "Why," Kuroko demanded, "Why would you go so low, Shougo?" He wanted to kill this man before him, to listen to his screams of agony as blood escaped his body, _he wanted to make Haizaki suffer._ But no, he must keep calm for the sake of his brother's life. He would kill this man after his brother was safe.

"For victory, of course," Haizaki smirked, "If Akashi Seijuro is dead in ten days, your brother will be returned to you, unharmed." The mafia boss laced his fingers together in an act of power, "Do you accept?"

Kuroko glared at the man sitting before him. "Fine," he replied, and stalked out of the room. He may fear Akashi Seijuro, but for the sake of his brother, he will do anything. _Anything at all_.

* * *

**Plot bunnies everywhere, plot bunnies jump~**

**Lol idk please forgive me meeerrrrp**

**I wanted to see if I could finish this in a month...**

**MEEEERP**


	2. Foul Air

"_I want Akashi Seijuro dead in ten days."_

"_Why would you go so low, Shougo?" _

"_For victory, of course."_

* * *

As soon as Kuroko had exited the building, he broke into a dead sprint. The world passed by him in a blur, and he must had knocked over several people in his rush. But Kuroko gave what happened around him no heed. All he had running through his head were ways to assassinate Akashi Seijuro quickly. He only have one chance in killing the man; if he fails, he would be either captured or tracked down by the mafia lord and killed.

Kuroko slammed the door of his apartment open, ignoring the rattle of glass that the motion created. He didn't bother to take off his shoes, and made a beeline to his study, where he could do his research in peace.

It only took the assassin a hour to finish analysing the data given to him by Haizaki. The Akashi mansion was surprisingly large, even for a lord like Akashi. And although the building had the ability to sustain at least a few hundred people, only thirty people lived there; Akashi, his Generation of Miracles and some servants. Instead of feeling relieved by the information, it only made an experienced assassin like Kuroko tenser. If Akashi only needed so many guards, how strong are they really?

But Kuroko knew that he had no time to hesitate. Even if Haizaki said that he had ten days, Kuroko knew to not trust the man no matter what sweet words he sprout. So he engrossed himself in creating the perfect assassination. He needed to get past the guard that patrol the borders first, and then the rest shouldn't be too threatening. There was a five minutes gap between the exchanges of guards a two in the morning, Kuroko noticed. That was when he would strike, the blunette decided.

For the remaining time before he would enter the Akashi manor, Kuroko dedicated himself to studying the Generation of Miracles. Kise, the copy-cat would can copy any fighting style after he sees it, although Kuroko's misdirection technique may be the blonde's downfall; Aomine, wild and strong, but blunt; Murasakibara, a giant standing at the height of two-hundred-and-eight, with a scary defensive power; and Midorima, the sniper who never misses. Kuroko shuddered, Akashi has a powerful army.

It will be certain that he would die, even if he had managed to escape. But for Mayuzumi, Kuroko would do anything. The digital clock beside Kuroko's pile of books beeped once, signalling that it is one in the morning.

Kuroko stood up, and left his apartment.

* * *

The Akashi mansion was even larger than Kuroko had expected. It towered over his petite self ominously, gloomy in the dark night air. Kuroko checked his watch, one minute until the shift change, perfect. He hid himself in the shadows of the night, as he had been taught. The guards at the gate did not suspect anything as they left the entrance, leaving it void of any security.

Kuroko did not wait for another second after the two men were out of sight, and he quickly climbed over the gate. Landing on the grass without a sound, he scanned his surroundings for threats before dashing towards the side of the building where Akashi reside in. The man's bedroom was the highest floor up, and the fourth window across. Kuroko knew that once he had reached the room, his chances of assassinating Akashi Seijuro was going to be higher.

Scaling the wall proved to be a difficult challenge, as it was smooth and polished, with no cracks for foothold. For countless times, Kuroko slipped and caught himself at the last moment, wanting nothing more than to kill Haizaki.

After what seemed like a decade, the assassin finally reached the window of Akashi's room. The curtains were close, Kuroko noticed, Akashi does not seem like a man to reveal himself at his weakest and most oblivious moment to the world outside. He took a deep breathe, there was no going back now. If he retreated at this moment, he would never get a chance again.

Kuroko slid the window open after picking the lock on it. His heart pounded nervously, and bile rose in his throat. The air smelt foggy and clogged and something is definitely wrong, Kuroko could tell, _something in this room was __**wrong.**_ His hands shook, and it took all of his training to stop the motion. 'Okay', he recalled to himself, 'Move quickly, strike the target before they can react.'

He seemed to blend in with the shadows around him, and faded into the darkness. Kuroko swiftly headed for his target on the bed, a poisoned dagger in hand. His breathing was becoming irregular, Kuroko noticed subconsciously. But that is fine, this would be over soon.

As soon as the dagger in his hand plunged into the body on the bed, Kuroko noticed several things at once that made his heart skip a beat in panic and his mind race. The first thing that the assassin found was that a body could not feel like this, there was no way that this shape on the bed is anything alive; it lacked the softness of flesh that all living beings have, and – oh my god, Kuroko cursed, it was a sandbag. What came a split second later was that alarms were ringing, and iron bars locked any sort of escape from the window. This was a trap.

The assassin wanted to scream in frustration and fear; the bastard Haizaki did not even provide him with legit information! He must run, Kuroko thought to himself, _now_. Kuroko let several escape routes run through his head found only one that fit the current situation; Akashi had him good.

But he could not waste this chance, he could already hear the footsteps heading towards the room. So Kuroko sprinted as fast as he could through the corridors, using his misdirection like he had never done before. Run, he subconsciously chanted to himself, _run._

He passed guard after guard who did not notice him, and even when Kuroko rushed pass the infamous Kise Ryouta and Aomine Daiki, they paid him no heed. He was so close to the main door, now. The towering entrance was in his sight, oh, how Kuroko wanted to cry in relieve at the scene.

But then somebody appeared in front of Kuroko and he froze. The person in front of him was staring in his eyes, Kuroko realised. The person had hair as red as blood itself and heterochromatic eyes that glowed in the darkened room. It was Akashi Seijuro.

How Kuroko wanted to cry and curse and just _give up_ because he knew that he had no chance escaping from this man. Then he remembered the reason he came to this mansion as an assassin; _Kuroko Tetsuya was to kill Akashi Seijuro to save his brother's life. _

It was then that Kuroko decided to give in to his fate of capture and death, but not before he drag this man in front of him down to hell with him. The assassin switched his panicked face into a calm, blank façade, and slowed the trembling in his whole body until it stopped. "Hello," Kuroko murmured, "Akashi Seijuro."

Akashi did not let his emotions show, either. "I believe that you are here to kill me," he stated, eyes boring into the assassin's, "I suggest that if you want to get out of this place alive, give up." His eyes flashed dangerously, nearly making Kuroko lose his fake composure.

Kuroko grimace. "I am afraid that I never give up, Akashi-kun," he twirled the dagger in his hand, watching for any reactions. "You, however," Kuroko stopped the motion with his hand and pointed the dagger in it at Akashi, "Will give up." He knew that he need to catch this man off guard, now. Anytime later than this and the Miracles would catch up and he would not be able to kill Akashi.

The mafia lord chuckled drily, seemingly amused. "So determined," Akashi taunted, as he analysed the petite assassin before him. It was as if he was having a debate with himself about something, and the man closed his eyes slowly. All this made Kuroko tenser than he already was, he did not know what this man was up to and he did not like it. Finally, Akashi opened his eyes again, "Very well," he said, "You have one chance to kill me. I will not defend myself from your attack. Will you take this offer?"

There was a catch, but Kuroko was desperate. He did not think about anything else, other than delivering one fatal blow to his target. "I think I will, Akashi-kun," he whispered, "I think I will."

And then Kuroko struck.

* * *

**I promised that I would finish this in a month, and I will. I had a fever and irritating headache for the past few days, apologies.**

**High school and assignment are deeeaaaath**

**SEVEN FRIGGING ASSIGNMENTS GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH**

**But all in all, thank you for all of your lovely reviews. If I hadn't replied, I am really sorry, be acting up**

**Luv u all~**

**-Rem**


	3. Sold to the Devil

"_You have one chance. Will you take this offer?" _

"_I think I will, Akashi-kun. I think I will."_

* * *

In the instance that Kuroko threw himself at Akashi, dagger in hand, he knew that something was off; his muscles suddenly felt like jelly and as heavy as lead, and his vision blurred dangerously. He suddenly couldn't move at all, causing him to topple to the ground and hit the marble with a faint thud.

The assassin's thoughts raced, no, he did not feel anything akin to a needle in his flesh. Nor did he feel the burning pain of a bullet. He had not consumed anything in the past day so hr was not poisoned via food or water. _Where_, Kuroko rummaged through his maze of a mind to find an answer, _where was he drugged?_ Filtering the events of the past hour through his inner eyes, the realisation dawned on the blunette. The suffocating smell of the bedroom were in fact drugs, and unknowingly, Kuroko had breathed the poisoned air in without a thought.

He managed to let a weak chuckle escape from his lips, and forced his head to lift up to meet the glowing eyes of Akashi. The man was standing tall and proud, triumphant and also expectant of Kuroko's downfall. "You knew that I had come to kill you," Kuroko rasped, his willpower the only pillar protecting him from succumbing to unconsciousness, "You set this all up, Akashi-kun. Amazing."

Akashi's expression shifted for a moment to something unreadable, before returning to normal again. Kuroko tried his best to read the brief change, but his accursed eyes refused to focus on the other. Bringing a hand to his golden eye, Akashi smirked bitterly. "It was only natural that I saw this coming, Tetsuya," he murmured, voice still authoritative and intimidating even a whisper. "I am the Emperor, I see everything; the past, the present, and the future." His smirk widened into a terrifyingly insane grin and he looked down at Kuroko with his chilling, icy eyes. "No one will eye best me. Not even you, Kuroko Tetsuya."

Crimson and gold were the last things Kuroko saw before darkness finally overtook him.

* * *

When Kuroko finally came to the world of consciousness, the first thing he registered was that it was cold. The air around him were so cold that it felt like tiny particles of ice were forming in the air and stabbing him from head to toe, his flesh was so numb but it felt like he had millions and millions of minuscular needles poking relentlessly into his flesh. Kuroko moaned in discomfort; he hated the cold with a passion.

The second thing that Kuroko realised was that he was on a bed consisting of wood and a thin, tattered excuse for a quilt. It did nothing to aid in the protection from the cold; it made everything worse, truth be told. There were no restrictions on his body, and that made Kuroko's blood run cold. He could not escape. Akashi was that confident.

Kuroko could remember everything. He remembers how he had foolishly breathed in the sleeping gas in Akashi's bedroom, and how everything was a trap. The assassin wanted to scoff at the irony of the situation he was in; Akashi was never the target, it was him all along. It was Kuroko who was the pawn across the chessboard of which Akashi and that bastard Haizaki were in control of, it was _Kuroko_ who was being played.

Maybe Haizaki had known all along, Kuroko pondered, maybe Haizaki's only motive was to send Kuroko to his death. He would not put it pass the man to do so, not after he stooped to the level of kidnapping his brother… Kuroko's eyes widened and he finally allowed a violent curse to escape his lips. Mayuzumi! "Oh, God," Kuroko shuddered. They still have his _brother!_

From the condition of his body, Kuroko predicted that he had slept for around half a day. Another curse fought the way up his throat and mindlessly the assassin allowed the foul word to escape. His normal calm composure had completely disappeared, leaving a vulnerable man who care about his sibling more than his life. With the current time left, Kuroko have only nine days to rescue his brother. But if words come out about his failed assassination, there was no predicting what the heartless monster of a man would do.

Kuroko closed his eyes and drew in a deep breathe. He knows that he can do this. There must be a way to save his sibling, no matter how bizarre. He shot down plans in his head that he knew would not work and generated more, but none fit the dangerous puzzle of the underworld. Time ticked on in the lonely white room and Kuroko grew more and more agitated.

Had Akashi not opened the door at that very moment, Kuroko may had torn out his hair in frustration. But with the composed man in the room, everything was different; Kuroko cannot reveal any more of his weaknesses to the calculating man in front of him. A single wrong move and he would be brought crashing to his doom. So Kuroko painted on his blankest façade and stared at the man right on.

He was sitting formally on the plain bed that the host of the house had so graciously provided him with, with his hands in his laps. Kuroko made sure to keep his eyes blank and his body from shaking as the heterochromatic orbs met his own sky blue ones head on, neither refusing to back down.

The tension in the room was so thick it could be easily cut through. Red and gold clashed with blue in a battle of will and knowledge as both parties tried to read each other first. Kuroko stared into the mesmerising colours of his opponent's eyes, trying to see what lied beneath the film of demanding authority. There were bitterness, darkness and betrayal in the eyes of Akashi Seijuro, and hidden deep inside him, _sadness_. Kuroko knew the look, he knew that _look_ so well because every single time he looked into the mirror he would see the emotion reflected back at him. He knew that only something unthinkably tragic would make somebody this way. Kuroko knew at that very moment to never mention that look in his eyes to Akashi, should he live and survive to see another day.

Silence stretched on for so long that Kuroko could not take it anymore. He slowly closed his eyes, giving Akashi the victory to the staring contest. "Akashi-kun," Kuroko said pleasantly, keeping his eyes closed. "You are here for information, about my employer, I assume?"

Akashi pulled out a folding chair from a tiny desk beside the bed, and gracefully lowered himself onto the plastic stool. "I believe so," he said shortly. And although his voice was not raised or irritated in anyway, Kuroko could still hear the commanding undertone.

The sole reason that Akashi allowed Kuroko to live was that he wanted to hear, from the mouth of Haizaki's own underling, the betrayal of his boss. Kuroko knew that, and all he could do in his current situation was to play along. "Haizaki Shougo," he said in his practiced monotone, "He is the one who gave the command to kill you." A dance on the tightrope, above the highest mountains of the world. Yes, Kuroko knew the dangerous game he was playing, but what other chance did he have?

Akashi hummed in amusement, and nodded in satisfaction. "I do not need you anymore, than," he stood up and pointed a gun at Kuroko's head, "You've told me all that there is I need to know."

Kuroko's heart thumped nervously. One single movement that Akashi did not find to his fitting, he would find a bullet in his head. He breathed in deeply through his mouth and fixed a steady gaze on Akashi, meeting his eyes firmly. "I am not afraid to die," he managed to choke out without stuttering, "But there is one person that I wish to save before you send me to hell." Kuroko stood up recklessly, seemingly unaware of the gun pointed at his head. "They mean the world to me." Finally, Kuroko let his façade of calmness fade away, leaving himself vulnerable to any attacks that the mafia lord he was sure will not deliver. He let his eyes convey his message and _begged_ for Akashi to understand. He had been hurt the same way Kuroko had been, _he knows_.

Akashi seemed stunned momentarily at the other's selfless act. Shock and surprise flickered on his face, before the man closed his eyes and growled to himself. A few seconds were all it took for Akashi to decide Kuroko's fate but it seemed like centuries before he opened his eyes again, the assassin could only stare at the orbs in vain hope, praying for a miracle to the heavens.

"Fine," Akashi snapped sharply, and Kuroko sagged in relieve at that one word. "But as soon as that person is save, you die." The blunette nodded, satisfied with the bargain. "And," Akashi continued, "You are an assassin. You are to be of use when the raid happens in two days. If you are to show any signs of weakness or betrayal, you will be gunned down. No exceptions." The lord stood up gracefully, and exited the tiny room. The click of a lock echoed in the suffocating white room, leaving a sense of emptiness behind.

But Kuroko ignored everything, and despite his certain death, he allowed himself a small smile of victory. In two days he is going to turn against Haizaki and get Mayuzumi back. In two days, his brother will be safe from harm. In two, mere days.

Clear, blue eyes stared up at the ceiling vacantly, as the owner of the beautiful orbs stretched himself out onto the bed he was provided with. "Well," Kuroko murmured to himself, "I think I just sold my soul to the devil."

* * *

**Edit: hey guys I found tonnes of mistakes in this agin im rlly sorry**

**-rem**


	4. Soft

"_Before you send me to hell, there is one person I wish to save."_

"_But as soon as that person is safe, you die."_

_Kuroko nodded in agreement._

* * *

Akashi kept his composure with great difficulty after he had left the room which held Kuroko Tetsuya in confinement. His footsteps tapped rapidly down the marble corridors of his mansion, making the place echo emptily as he went. It was only after he had slammed the door of his room shut and locked it that Akashi slid down the wood and landed on the carpet.

For a while, everything in the room was deathly still and silent. Akashi simply stayed in his position on the carpet and stared blankly at the ceiling. His thoughts were a disarray and his breathing was slightly faster than usual, Akashi was… frustrated. He was frustrated, not at somebody else, but at himself; he had let the assassin known as Kuroko Tetsuya live.

Kuroko was one of the most well-known assassins in the underground for his silent and deadly kills. All of the killing methods were the same; a poisoned dagger and a swift stab in the head. What made him as infamous as he was the black rose that Kuroko would always leave at the head of the victim, the flower covering the fatal wound. It was as though Kuroko actually felt sympathy towards his targets; that Kuroko had a heart and he killed only when he needed to; for someone else.

Of course, Akashi did not believe that insane rumour coursing about in his dark world. What man, Akashi would think to himself, would be willing to die and even _kill _for the sake of another human? Humans are never kind, deep inside of their hearts. Even if they do conjure up some blasted lie about love and trust and how they would protect their loved ones, a lie is a lie, and when the moment calls for a sacrifice humans would run like a dog with their tail between their legs. Akashi knew that _oh-so-well_. _Humans are selfish, they would never risk their life for another._

Yet, the impossible example of a selfless human had stood bravely before him a good hour before. That human had looked straight into death's eye and pleaded for another person's life instead of his own. He had even offered him own life for another's. It baffled Akashi and shook him to the core. _How could such a human exist?_ This human kills, not for pleasure nor money, but for another _human?_ It was impossible.

Maybe it was that thought which made Akashi allow the human to die only after he had rescued the person he had been willing to give him life for. Akashi told himself that it was not because he sympathised Kuroko Tetsuya. It could not be, as Akashi Seijuro's heart had been burnt out years ago. No, it was because Akashi wanted to see what Kuroko Tetsuya would do. Akashi wanted to know if Kuroko would change his mind, and run. He wasn't letting Kuroko Tetsuya live to convince himself that such a kind and selfless person _did _exist, no. Akashi was not weak like that. He was simply doing this to prove that the world will never have a person would sacrifice themselves for another.

Akashi lied to himself that day.

***  
"Eat."

The word made Kuroko look up. Standing before him was a man with vivid violet hair and immediately Kuroko recognised the man as Murasakibara Atsushi. His height was enough to give him away, and if not, it would be the large chocolate bar he was munching on. Murasakibara was the one known as the "Giant". He was also the greatest fear of many, due to not only his height but also his skills at convincing people to spill their information. Kuroko was secretly glad that he had not been dealt with by the giant, he really was.

The said giant was in the centre of the room, holding a tray of steaming soup and rice. The scent was enough to make Kuroko drool. He had not eaten for two days, at the very least. "Thank you," he said gratefully and made a pleased noise as the wooden tray was set in front of him. "It smells nice," Kuroko sighed in bliss after swallowing a mouthful of soup. "It tastes like heaven, Murasakibara-kun."

Murasakibara blinked in surprise, which was completely missed by Kuroko. Never had he been and thanked like this by others before. Especially the ones who were captured and promised certain death. Most of the time, the rest of the Miracles had taken his cooking for granted, and prisoners mostly slap away the food and scowl at him. In those cases, Murasakibara had made sure after those events that the prisoners only had army rations for food. It wasn't pleasant for them the slightest, it soon became a way to torture those idiots. It works well.

So when Murasakibara heard that they had a new prisoner (a person who tried to assassinate Aka-chin, nonetheless), he made it his job to stock up the kitchen with army rations. He had then made a simple meal of soup and rice for the person, fully expecting the food to be on the floor in ten seconds when he offered it to the prisoner. But much to his surprise, Murasakibara was _thanked_ by the man, instead of rejected. He was even praised; something that had never happened before. The voice of the prisoner was honest, holding no hints of a lie.

Instead of shocking any emotions like shock, Murasakibara simply stood there, staring intently at the man eating. After half a hour, the food was finished, to every last bit. The giant numbly collected the tray from the blunette's hands, still staring at him with that exploring _look_ in his eyes. He tried to ignore the quiet "thank you" passed on by the assassin, but found the act simply impossible. Murasakibara fought with himself and finally gave up. With a sigh, he turned to look at the blunette in the eyes as he was about to leave the room. "What's your name?" he slurred, trying to sound uninterested.

The man blinked, and then then a small smile lit up his face (and secretly, although Murasakibara would never admit it) the whole room. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya," he murmured in that ever-so-quiet voice of his.

Murasakibara nodded once, and slammed the door shut behind him.

As he made his way to the kitchen, Murasakibara made a silent promise to himself that he would make Kuro-chin a feast tomorrow, maybe with a few milkshakes as well.

Unknown to him, a man with forest green hair stood in the shadows, his eyes sharp and irritated. "They are getting soft," he spat to himself in disgust. He was one of the most knowledgeable, after Akashi. And he knew that getting soft meant another broken heart; he did not want to deal with that again. The man spun around on his heels and walked away from the room of Kuroko Tetsuya. "In two days," he told himself, "That kid would be dead."

Kuroko Tetsuya would be dead, by the hand of Akashi, or Midorima _himself._ Because on that day, he swore to the heavens that he would never let Akashi Seijuro cry again.

* * *

**Hai guys sorry for the filler and not replying to da reviews I is really sorry**

**But I'm currently sick as fuck and sporting a massive headache and cough**

**like literally I cant go without 3 minutes without coughing**

**Lol this is the worst cold ive had in years**

**plus I cried at school cos I got really emotional when I said "I got bullied from kindergarten to year three, and I had a friend who attempted suicide and was in coma for three weeks. So I know that if you are a bystander to bullying, you might as well be killing the victim yourself." in this youth hero project And then I just stared crying in front of the whole grade and then ppl who normally doesn't give a shit when peers cry went omfg u okay **

**it was rlly awkward**

**but srsly ppls dun b bystanders to bullying**

**wtf this authors note turned so deep guys I think im rambling gah bye**

**-Rem**


	5. Nightmares and Meetings

_Akashi had let Kuroko Tetsuya live._

"_What's your name?"_

"_Kuroko Tetsuya, Murasakibara-kun."_

_Midorima scowled. They were getting soft again. In two days, he would make sure that the assassin dies._

* * *

It had been exactly two hours, ten minutes and twenty seconds since Murasakibara had left the room, carrying an empty tray. He had left in his wait impatient and worried silence, and also an irritated Kuroko. It had been twenty-six hours since the mission was given to him by Haizaki. And Kuroko knew that Haizaki tolerated no failures, so the instant the news about Kuroko's loss reaches the bastard, Mayuzumi was going to pay.

A quick calculation told the assassin that gossip would not leak for three days at the most and two days at the least. A pang of pain struck him in the chest like lightning after Kuroko realised that if Akashi delayed his plans, his brother would be dead.

Kuroko wanted to rush out of the room immediately and order Akashi to hurry his raid up. He wanted to push the man so he could get his brother out safely. Oh how Kuroko wanted to do all this so badly that he dug his nails into his palms until half-moon indents appeared and the skin broke and bled. But he reined in his screaming heart and thought with his brain; he had been captured because he had rushed to assassinate Akashi so that he could get Mayuzumi back faster. It had only led him to his doom and Kuroko could not let the consequences of another mistake that _he _makes fall onto Mayuzumi. He would not let that happen.

So Kuroko forced himself to stay on the cheap, wooden bed that he was lying on and rest; he needed to recover from the drugs given to him and also gain strength. It pained him terribly because all that Kuroko wanted to do was to storm into Haizaki's bloody place and grab his brother and get the _hell_ away from the underworld. But Kuroko didn't do as his heart wanted to, because – he closed his eyes and mumbled to himself – "Assassins like you doesn't need a heart, Tetsuya."

And as all assassins were taught to have a large amount of self-control over their bodies, Kuroko forced his physical husk to drift into a restless sleep.

* * *

Kuroko's dreams were nightmares of watching his brother being gruesomely murdered in front of him. What was so terrifying was not the fact that Kuroko could so everything and hear everything of his brother's pain clearly, but because he could do nothing to help the dying soul bleeding red. All Kuroko was able to do in his dream-like state was to float there and _watch. He could only watch and that made Kuroko scared._

When he was finally blessed with consciousness to reality, a violent scream tore from Kuroko's throat and hot tears flowed down from his eyes. The man curled up on his bed, shaking and thanking the heavens that it was only a dream. A terrifying dream, Kuroko thought to himself, but only a dream. It took him ten minutes to fully compose himself and make himself as presentable as he can be. The shaking had stopped and Kuroko had managed to pull his blank face over himself once more, he straightened his ragged clothing, and evened out his breathing, preparing himself for who he knew had been outside of his door for ten minutes.

Kuroko made a small shuffling noise, indicating that he was alright now. The door opened smoothly and Kuroko found himself facing Akashi. Kuroko knew very well that since he had screamed and woken himself up, Akashi had been standing outside of his door. He also knew that the man had allowed him the dignity to piece himself together before confronting the world outside. And for that, Kuroko respected Akashi.

"Hello, Akashi-kun," Kuroko said politely, bowing and almost letting his growing fringe sweep the ground. "You are here to take me to the meeting," he stated, eyes boring into heterochromatic orbs. Akashi blinked once and let acknowledgement fill his eyes, turning around wordlessly and made his way down the halls, knowing that Kuroko would follow. The almost undetectable footsteps confirmed the thought and Akashi allowed himself a small smirk.

Five minutes exactly. That was the time that it took the duo to reach what Kise had dubbed the "Conference Hall". It was nothing extravagant, really, Akashi thought to himself as he watched Kuroko admire the room with a sparkle in his eye. It was really a gloomy room, with no windows and the walls were covered in plans and maps and data. Red arrows and lines linked one picture to another until a complicated maze was created.

Though, Akashi supposed that this room in front of him contains data that even the Government would have a hard time getting. The information from even just one piece of paper can bring a big company to its downfall, if used correctly. Information was important, and this room was simply priceless because of that fact. "This is the room that we will be discussing in," Akashi said to Kuroko.

"Charming," Kuroko breathed, squinting to make out some words on a piece of paper pinned to the wall. It was the contract that he had signed with Haizaki for some rich fat man's life several years ago. The man bumped into Haizaki in the streets and got a stain on him. Kuroko had felt sorry that the man would die for such a reason, but after he was forced to go undercover as a maid and gotten harassed by the fat pig, Kuroko relished the feeling of killing the man.

Kuroko realised that in the time that he was recalling the past, Akashi had moved to take the seat at the head of the table that stood in the centre of the room. Kuroko raised an eyebrow as question to his seating arrangement, and made himself comfortable on a chair left to Akashi when he was replied with a sweep of hand.

The rest of the Miracles did not take long to gather. Midorima arrived first, carrying a street sign in his hand. Murasakibara was the second to arrive, munching on a lollipop. It was ten minutes later that the remaining two of the Miracles stumbled into the meeting room, their faces slightly bruised and ignoring each other.

When Kise and Aomine had finally settled down into the two chairs left available, Akashi clapped his hands to get the group's attention. Five pairs of eyes turned to him and Akashi opened his mouth to speak. "Good evening, everybody," he said, "I have call you here today to discuss the raid on the Haizaki Corp in two days." If the glint of excitement in Aomine's eye were anything to go by, a raid had not occurred in a while. Akashi ignored his grinning friend and continued, "Haizaki is proving to be a nuisance, and the latest assassination attempt on me is the solid evident of that."

"What's the plan, Akashicchi?" A blonde –Kise, Kuroko assumed- bounced.

Akashi nodded, and gestured for Kise to sit down. "Before the plan," he smirked, "We have a new comrade who is going to fight with us against Haizaki." Akashi took time to look around the room and make eye contact with every single one of the Miracles, "He is Kuroko Tetsuya." He gestured at the assassin, who –surprisingly- shrunk into his chair and blushed as all the occupants of the room turned to stare at him.

Since Kise and Aomine were not aware of the fact that Kuroko was the assassin who had attempted to kill Akashi, their reactions were much more comical than Midorima's and Murasakibara's. Kise gave a manly shriek of surprise as the petite blunette in front of him seemed to appear out of nowhere, while Aomine gawked at pale man and fell out of his chair.

"Hello," Kuroko raised a hand in greeting, "It will be a pleasure to work with you."

* * *

**Hello guys, thank you for all the reviews telling me to get better and everything else! ^^ It was really touching *cries***

**Anyways I know that this chappie was full of crap, but I'm tired and ten assignments due on wednesday that i havent even started oh my god i promise you an action packed on next chappie**

**idk if i make any sense no more**

**i sleepy**

**peace**

***snores***


	6. Fighting Styles

Kuroko sighed to himself as he stared up at the ceiling of his new room blankly. After his introduction to the group, Aomine and Kise had made a large commotion about the "ghost", which delayed the meeting for a good hour. In the end, when all hopes seemed to be lost, a sharp pair of scissors had made itself known on the wooden table with a sound thud. Kuroko thanked the heavens for Akashi Seijuro for stopping the two loud idiots.

After the panic of Kuroko's sudden appearance finally wore off, Akashi had wasted no time and plunged into a deep discussion about the raid happening in two days. They had discussed the weapons that they need to use for a while, from which Kuroko had learnt a fair part about the Miracle's preferences in the weapons they fight with.

Although Midorima was a sniper, he also use poisoned throwing daggers for long-distance fighting. For a closer ranged fight, he prefers to use sharp, thin needle-like weapons. From what Kuroko had gathered from the conversation, Midorima's needles are strong, but hollow on the inside. The tube was filled with lethal poison, even if the needle only grazed the skin the victim would die within seconds in extreme agony. This made Kuroko wonder how the sniper could carry something so deadly on his person that could kill himself with such confidence. But he had resigned to the fact that he may never know.

Kise can fight with almost anything at hand. His amazing talent in copying opponents gives him the chance to be flexible with his choice in weapons. He was wild and free, switching from weapon to weapon at a moment's notice.

Aomine was pretty much like a madman when he fights, Kuroko was told by Kise. He fights with a Kanata that he had received as a heirloom and when Aomine fights, he slices down enemies in the blink of an eye.

Murasakibara's fighting style is hand-to-hand combat. He was a master at material arts, and his large body was faster and more nimble than one would think. All that he needed to fight with are gloves with diamond knuckles that would shatter bones at one punch. The gloves were custom-made, Murasakibara had told Kuroko with childish glee. Akashi had ordered for the pair to be especially made from the finest of leather and diamonds for the giant's birthday, apparently. Kuroko had laughed secretly at that; Akashi may seem like a strict man, but he was so _soft_ for his comrades.

Speaking of Akashi –Kuroko groaned to himself- the man was so confusing. He was strict and smart one second, and then he was fussing over Murasakibara for eating too much junk food. Not to mention, his style of fighting and choice of weapons was never mentioned in the meeting. It gave Kuroko no insight whatsoever to the man and that just made him even more frustrated because as an assassin, he simply _needs_ to know about his comrades and everybody around him. It was something that Kuroko had picked up when he was young; it was like an instinct. If you do not fulfil it, it itches and claws at the back of your mind.

But there was nothing that Kuroko can do in this room. He knew better than to venture outside, so he stayed in his confinement. Groaning, Kuroko buried his head into the pillow, wishing for sleep to invade his body. Eventually, after what seemed like centuries of waiting, darkness finally overtook the assassin, dragging him into a restless sleep.

* * *

Morning seemed to come too fast, and the sun shone in Kuroko's face like some accursed irritation. Kuroko turned his head quickly, slamming his face into the feathered pillow. When he finally couldn't ignore the burning rays on the nape of his neck anymore, Kuroko forced his head up from his comfortable position on the pillow.

A glance at the digital clock beside Kuroko told him that it was twelve in the morning, and he distantly remembered that it was the latest he had slept in a few years. Stretching and popping a few joints back in place, Kuroko rolled out of bed and onto the lush carpets of the room, still in a sleepy daze. He simply laid there for half an hour, staring at the wall in front of him with his blank cerulean eyes. Kuroko was not a morning person at all, he needs at least an hour to gather himself before actually waking up.

A knock on the door nearly made the drowsy assassin jump, and he quickly smoothed his clothing down to a presentable state before rushing over to the door. Upon opening it, Kuroko discovered the face of Murasakibara, staring at him like he had grown another head. A short sniff was all it took for Kuroko to shift his attention to the steaming tray in the giant's hands, covered in sweet buns and soup and something that made Kuroko swoon – a vanilla milkshake.

"Thank you very much," he murmured at the tray was passed into his hands, "I appreciate this, Murasakibara-kun." Kuroko looked up at the man and grinned childishly, not noticing the faint blush on the other's face.

Murasakibara nodded and grunted in reply, beaming internally at the compliment he had just received. "Aka-chin wants you to come tonight at seven for a final briefing before the raid," he said with his mouth full of chips, "At the same place as last night." Kuroko nodded and replied that he would be there, and Murasakibara allowed himself a small smile at the petite man before him before exiting the room.

The giant did not leave immediately, instead, he waited outside of Kuroko's room like a child. He could hear the quiet moan of appreciation at what was no doubt the milkshake that he had prepared. Murasakibara made a mental note to himself to bring a milkshake to Kuroko every day.

When he finally left with an empty tray in hand, beaming, Murasakibara pretended that he had not spent an hour outside Kuroko Tetsuya's bedroom. He was simply observing the results of his food, which was all. The giant hummed to himself as he almost skipped down the corridors, ignoring the strange looks he received from the others.

* * *

**Hey guys I'm so sorry that this is so short and that I haven't updated for several days. I had a few assessments due and exams but fear not; they are almost over now! But srsly I have around five assessments due next week, so apologies for late updates!**

**Onto more important matters, today is the 11th of the 9th month of the year. It is the anniversary for the tragic 9/11 terrorist attack. I pray for the victims, may they rest in peace.**

**On a lighter note, the train station was on fire today (lol) and I panicked cos its my route home (via train boom boom) so I went and bought chocolate icecream and took the bus home (I b wonderful peeps)**

**So, yeah. Peace~**

**-Rem (high on chocolate)**


	7. Fear of Death

After the amazing meal delivered to him by Murasakibara, Kuroko spent the remaining time in the room exploring to take his mind off the matter of his brother's safety. His heart was practically jumping out of his chest at the thoughts of what could be happening to his brother right now, but Kuroko kept his calm and amused himself with the books lining a bookshelf by the wall.

The books he found were of fairy tales and happy endings, not Kuroko's normal choice, but it took his mind off his brother, all the same. Time ticked by quickly for Kuroko with the book held in his hands, and before he knew it, it was nearly seven.

Setting the book down, the assassin groaned and heaved himself off the bed. Several joints popped back in place with a faint sound that made Kuroko click his tongue, his muscles were also slightly cramped from sitting in the same position for hours. But still, he had to arrive at the meeting on time.

With that thought in mind, Kuroko opened the door silently and made his way down the hall. He could recall every single detail from his tour that Akashi gave him last night. Right turn, another right turn, and then straight down the marble corridors. Briefly, Kuroko sneered at the thought of this mansion made of marble. As a child, both he and Mayuzumi had to work hard to sustain food on the table, so to see this much luxury… Kuroko shook his head; there was no point thinking such childish things now. He had to do what he set out to do.

He rasped his knuckles on the door once, before settling down to wait for entry to be granted. A quiet "come in" wafted through the wood and Kuroko pushed open the door. The room was still the same as it was yesterday, with Akashi sitting at the head of the table, hands settled as a leverage for his chin.

"Hello, Akashi-kun," Kuroko murmured, bowing. He glanced at the redhead, Akashi was wearing a casual but expensive looking red button-up shirt, with black dress pants. How the man made the outfit look like one that a model would lust after, Kuroko did not know. Suddenly, he felt slightly self-conscious of his plain shirt and ripped jeans. But he brushed the doubt aside. He was not a teenage girl!

"Hello, Tetsuya," Akashi responded, gesturing for the assassin to sit beside him. Kuroko obeyed and made his way to the man. "Tomorrow is the day," he said, "We shall rescue your brother in exchange for your life."

Instead of being intimidated by the statement, Kuroko merely nodded. "Yes," he said calmly, "I am sure that we will not fail." Yes, Kuroko was sure that his brother would be saved. He had down a bit of research on Akashi Seijuro, and it was said that the mafia lord was never once defeated. He always got what he wanted. That reassured Kuroko. He knew that he could trust the man to not break his promise and kill Mayuzumi, too. The fact that Akashi never goes back on his words made Kuroko respect him, in whatever twisted way one could their murderer.

The silence in the room was broken by the door slamming open and the Miracles entering the room. Kuroko winced at the loud noise that was caused by the ever-excited Kise. He hated loud noises, they were irritating.

Greetings from the Miracles flew in the air as they all settled into their destined chair. Akashi coughed once and the atmosphere turned from happy to dead serious. Kuroko wondered if the Miracles had some personality disorder that made their persona change in a second.

"Good evening," Akashi met all of the room's eyes. "I do not believe in idle chatter. Let us begin with the raid's summary." He slid a piece of paper to each of the room's occupants. "This is the Haizaki mansion's layout," he said, "We are going to attack from the northeast side of the building." Akashi pointed at a part of the map to empathise his point. "It will be like any other raid. Shintaro is going to disable the electronics and we will enter. The mission will be stealth until we rescue Tetsuya's brother, Mayuzumi Chihiro. Shintaro would then escort Chihiro to safety while we eradicate Haizaki. Are we clear?"

Seeing the nods from every single one of the members of the room, Akashi smirked in satisfaction. "Good," he said, "Here are more details on the rest of the mission." The mafia lord proceeded to dump a large pile of papers onto the centre of the table, creating a faint thud.

The rest of the meeting was spent in almost absolute silence, only broken by the munching of Murasakibara on his chips. Then, one by one, the Miracles asked to be dismissed, until only Akashi and Kuroko remained in the room.

Finally, Akashi looked up from a file and gave Kuroko a curious stare. "Tetsuya," he called, catching the other's attention. "You are going to die tomorrow," Akashi stated, watching the assassin's face carefully for any reactions, "Do you not fear for yourself?" It was a true, genuine question from Akashi. He was most baffled by the other's acceptance in his assigned death. Kuroko had simply taken it calmly –no, he had assigned his own death! Akashi could not understand this at all; is it not a must for all humans to fear death? After all, nobody knows what comes after you die. The human kind sacrifices even their loved ones to escape death, but this human… He was sacrificing himself?

Kuroko blinked at Akashi, before closing his eyes with a small smile on his face. "I know that I am going to die soon, Akashi-kun," he murmured, "I know that very well." He opened his eyes, meeting the other's surprised gaze head on. "And although I had already accepted my death, it does not mean that I do not fear it." Kuroko leaned forward with a bitter smile on his face. "I am a human, Akashi-kun. I fear what I do not know. I do fear death. But for my brother, I will face this fear."

It was true. Kuroko fears death very much. He had seen it happen before his very eyes; he was the cause of death. As an assassin, Kuroko had seen the life drain out of people's bodies like water. He had witnessed the ever-cooling bodies as their owner's consciousness faded. Kuroko had seen death more than once, but it did not mean that he was used to it. Even though he kills, Kuroko still feels pity for those he murdered as they died. He did not know what death was like; Kuroko Tetsuya fears death, it chills him to his core.

But for Mayuzumi, Kuroko would face his fear. His brother had done terrible things for him before. He had raised him and protected him and loved him and made him to be the person he was today. Kuroko could not be more thankful. And if his death was the only way to repay the man, Kuroko would do so without a second thought.

"I am sure that you would understand one day, Akashi-kun," Kuroko stood up and smiled gently at the confused looking man. "You will find the person you cherish, no matter if it is a sibling or a lover. And you would protect them with your life."

Kuroko bowed to Akashi in respect, "Please excuse me," he murmured, and left the room. Leaving Akashi alone, sitting on his chair, and feeling completely at lost for words.

Surprised, shocked, and amazed. That was what Kuroko had left Akashi feeling. "So he would face death for his brother…" Akashi whispered to himself, a bitter smirk on his face, "What an interesting person you are, Kuroko Tetsuya."

* * *

**A little insight on Akashi and Kuroko's thoughts! Guys I'm so happy I finally finished my music assignment! Four down, six to go~**

**Anyways, the next chappie would be the fighting scenes! I've never written a fight before so wish me luck... **

**Btw haha for those of you who only started school mine's approaching holidays...**

**And for you people who did Natplan, how did you go? I got three triangles (reading, writing, numeracy) a 9 for grammar and 8 for spelling (lol I rely on auto correct too much)**

**Anyhow, good luck with life, minna~**


	8. Fear in the Air

"_But for my brother, I am willing to face my fears."_

"_What an interesting person you are, Kuroko Tetsuya."_

* * *

Kuroko slept restlessly that night. He tossed and turned in his bed, his heart pounding and clenching nervously at the thought of the next day. Truth be told, the assassin was terrified. He was scared about his near death, and he was scared for his brother. He did not know what had happened to his brother since he had seen him a few days ago. What could have happened at that time was countless. The possibilities were endless, and it made Kuroko was to disappear.

His brother could be tortured right now, punished for what Kuroko had not achieved or simply for Haizaki's own twisted moods. He could be dead, for Kuroko's failure had already reached Haizaki. Mayuzumi could be- Kuroko stopped thinking at that; he knew that if he continued his depressing train of thoughts, he may as well be killing himself slowly.

When the last thought struck Kuroko, his mind took a turn to take a look at his close death sentence. Kuroko did not forget the fact that even if he did manage to save his brother, he would still die. Death was not something Kuroko knows fully about. He only knew that the body stopped functioning after death. He did not know what comes after it. The thought of eternal oblivion sounded terrifying to the assassin. He still wanted to see the world, he still wanted to live.

Kuroko buried his face into his pillow with a faint sob. Even thinking about his demise was terrifying. Even though Kuroko had accepted the fact that he going to die, he was still clinging to the foolish hope that he would be spared. Kuroko did not know about death. And being plunged into the unknown made him shake and want to crawl into a corner and curl up and cry.

It was all so horrifying. The assassin choked back a sob, letting silent tears of fear slide down his cheeks. Even though he was emotionless on the outside, his inner turmoil was raging like a thunderstorm. Choked gasps escaped his lips as he tried to fight down the panic and suck in deep breathes. His fingers curled around the pillow and clawed at it until he tore the precious silk and the feathers inside spilled out. But Kuroko paid the action no heed. God- he needed air.

He was having a panic attack. Kuroko knew it. His throat clenched up and tears streamed down his face. Short, muffled gasps and hiccups left his lips as he fought for air. Kuroko tried to ignore the mad panic and fear that the thought of his death brought. He tried to ignore the pitch-black darkness that clawed at his very being.

After an hour, he could finally suck in a healthy amount of air into his lungs. Dreadfully slowly, his breathing calmed down and he could see out of his sore eyes again. Kuroko hiccupped. He was suddenly unbearably hot. Fingers scrambled to rip the suffocating shirt off as the owner of the digits hurried to discard the material. The shirt finally came off after minutes of frustrated clawing and was thrown carelessly onto the floor.

Kuroko collapsed onto the bed, feeling exhaustion take over him. His eyes hurt and felt swollen, and his face must be red and blotchy. Sucking in another deep breathe, Kuroko allowed sleep to wash over his tired body.

* * *

The first thing that Kuroko felt was somebody rousing him. He wasn't being manhandled, no, he was simply being pushed slightly. Groaning, he forced his eyes open, wincing at the pain that the action brought. His eyes were definitely swollen and red, judging from the throbbing pain in his eyes. His face felt no better; it was sticky and gross with last night's tears. His body was damp and horrible with cold sweat from a nightmare. All in all, Kuroko felt like he had been run over by a car.

He finally turned his sore eyes to the person he had woken him, to find a man with dark blue hair. Kuroko recognised him immediately as Aomine Daiki; the Miracle's ace. The man was dressed in a loose, dark blue hoodie and a pair of faded, ripped jeans. He had a disgruntled look on his ace, as though he did not wish to be here.

"Good morning, Aomine-kun," Kuroko croaked, wincing at his cracking voice. He really did cry hard last night. He was in terrible conditions; he needed a long shower.

The ace rolled his eyes, letting go of Kuroko's shoulders. "Looks like a shitty morning for you, you need to clean up," he muttered a reply, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. "Look," Aomine said, "Akashi wants you down for breakfast in an hour. It's currently six, we are attacking at ten tonight. Clear?"

Kuroko nodded, cracking his neck in the process. Aomine grumbled and left the room, slamming the door behind him. It was clear that he was not a morning person, from the dark bags under his eyes. Kuroko sighed, and pulled himself out of his bed. The carpet was lush, and provided comfort. The man was for once grateful for Akashi's rich furnishing; he did not want to face cold tiles after a harsh night.

After gather a change of clothes from a closet in the room, Kuroko headed for a joint bathroom next to his room. Upon entering the bathroom, the assassin promptly rushed into the shower, ignoring his clothing. The freezing water washed off the traces of tears and fear from the night before, and Kuroko finally found the strength to rid himself of his wet clothing and dump the fabric onto the tile outside of the shower.

He let himself get lost in the patter of the shower and the faint scent of the soap that he had used to rinse his body with. It did not occur to Kuroko that he had been sitting on the tiles of the shower until he felt the cold water turn even colder. Shaken out of his daze, Kuroko turned off the water and slipped out of the shower, wrapping a fluffy towel around his lean body.

Changing into his new clothing, and stepping out of the room and following Aomine to the dining room all seemed like a dream to Kuroko. It was as though he was outside of his body, watching all of the events occurring.

He had breakfast with the rest of the Miracles, barely tasting the food on his tongue, only chewing and swallowing mechanically. He subconsciously registered the inquiring look that Akashi had flashed him, and replied with a faint smile and nod. Kuroko knew that Akashi had figured out the reason of his blankness, and he was grateful when the man did not prod further into his mind. Kuroko was not sure if he could still hold his calm in place if the man had asked him if he was okay.

After the meal, Akashi allowed Kuroko to roam the huge library that the Akashi mansion has. The assassin wandered in the forest of shelves, occasionally picking up a book he was interested in. He browsed through the shelves for a while, before he settled down and started to read.

Words appeared before Kuroko's eyes, and he proceeded the information they gave automatically. Before he knew it, night had fallen, and Kuroko's watched beeped nine. Blue eyes flashed upwards from his book as a figure approached him.

It was Midorima Shintaro; the sniper of the Miracles. Kuroko greeted the man with a nod, which he returned. Without any words, the sniper gestured for the assassin to follow him. It was time to start the operation. Kuroko followed the man wordlessly, leaving his book behind on the desk that he had occupied.

They moved through corridor after corridor, until the duo reached a metal door. Midorima made a sudden halt, forcing Kuroko to stop his hurried steps suddenly. The sniper turned to the blunette and gave him a hard stare. "Kuroko Tetsuya," he snapped, his shoulders stiff and angular. "Akashi may had spared your life for now, but you _will_ die after this operation. Even if Akashi does not kill you, I will. Any signs of disobedience and I will kill you without hesitation. I hope that I have made myself clear." Midorima, held eye contact with Kuroko for a second longer, before punching a code into a pad beside the door and stride into the room.

Kuroko froze for a moment, shocked by the other's abrupt announcement. Bile rose up his throat as the thought of his death was brought up again, but he forced it down. It was his last mission to save Mayuzumi. He would make sure of it. Squaring his shoulders, Kuroko set his eyes steadily in front of him and followed Midorima.

* * *

The silence in the sleek black car was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. Excitement and anticipation was evident on the faces of Kise and Aomine, while Murasakibara had on his usual uncaring mask. But if the shaking of his shoulders were anything to go by, he, too, could not wait to fight.

Kuroko sat between the giant and the ace, with his eyes wide and his daggers ready at the moment of notice. He could not judge the expressions of Akashi and Midorima, as they sat in the front of the car, seemingly engaged in a secret conversation.

From what he could hear, though, Midorima was typing quickly on his laptop. He was no doubt hack into Haizaki's system.

Closing his eyes, Kuroko breathed in deeply and out. He clenched and unclenched his fists, determined to ignore the harsh pounding of his heart in his chest. The ride was smooth, and swift. The scenery passed by in a blur until the car finally slowed down, and stopped softly.

"This is the furthest we are going by car," Akashi announced. The team nodded in unison and slipped out of the car silently. The first part of the plan was to arrive at the mansion on foot, after travelling most of the way by car. As they did not want to be discovered, Akashi had planned for them to stop a mile from the mansion.

The remaining mile to the mansion took a bit less than twenty minutes. The Miracles were fast on their feet; swift and deadly in the night.

The guards at the gates were easily knocked out. No reinforcement arrived as Midorima had long since hacked into the system and changed what the camera showed.

Silence was the only thing in the air as the team scaled the wall and entered via window. It reminded Kuroko of his assassination attempt on Akashi, only this time, there was no alarm that went off as the six exited the room.

Footsteps unheard, the Miracles made their way to the room in which Mayuzumi was kept in. Route already memorised, the six arrived outside of the room without any trouble. The door was easily picked by Kuroko, who had a great skill as a thief.

The locked opened with a faint click that sounded terribly loud in the night air, it made Kuroko wince and shudder at the the suddenness of it. Ignoring the twisting in his stomach that told him that something was wrong, Kuroko inched open the door, peeping through the crack that it made.

The room was completely dark, not a single ray of moonlight was seen. The tension in the air made Kuroko feel sick as he opened the door fully.

And it was then that Kuroko realised that something was indeed very, very wrong. He could hear breathing in the room that told of other inhabitants other than his brother. The lights flickered on and it made Kuroko blind for a split second.

When his eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, Kuroko hissed in shock as he took in the scene in front of him. Haizaki was in the middle of the room, holding his brother by his neck, and a gun pointed at the man's head.

Haizaki blinked in feigned surprise, before his fake shock turned into a gruesome smirk. He turned to Kuroko, gun never leaving Mayuzumi's head. "Why, hello, _Tetsuya_."

* * *

**Hello, thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! I know I was like last chappie "omfg dis next chap b fighting scene" but then when I was typing this up I realised that was too long. So yeah, double post for y'all!**

**The next post would probably be in an hour...**

**Still, please review in this chapter and tell me how I did! The fighting scene should be written in an hour at the most!**

**With that, please do review!**

**-Rem**


	9. Revenge

_Haizaki turned to Kuroko, gun never leaving Mayuzumi's head. _

"_Why, hello, Tetsuya."_

* * *

Kuroko felt his body tense up at the sight before him; his brother, threatened with that filthy gun. His hands reached for his weapons, but Kuroko forced them to still, knowing that if he moved, a hole might be blown through his sibling's head. He raised a hand in warning as he felt the air behind him move; one of the Miracles were about to make a move. His action said "_don't_". Thankfully, whoever it was obeyed and backed down.

"Haizaki," Kuroko said calmly, his tone icy and chilling. It was the tone that promises a painful death. The voice made even Aomine shudder in fear he stood, alongside with his comrades, watching the petite assassin talk to his mortal enemy. "Please do put that gun away from my brother." As he said this, Kuroko moved to take out his twin daggers. "It will be the best in mind for you." He gave a cold smile, tilting his head to the side, eyes never straying from the man in front of him.

The addressed man ignored the shiver that went through his spine at the assassin's voice, and allowed the arrogant smirk on his face to grow bigger. "Oh, Tetsuya," he purred, "But you did not fulfil your side of the contract, did you?" Haizaki sneered, shoving the gun carelessly further into the gagged Mayuzumi's hair. "It was your brother's life for Akashi Seijuro's. But he is still alive. And," Haizaki turned his eyes to bore into Kuroko's, "Right here. You've dared to turn against me, Tetsuya. Such bravery." He laughed, making Kuroko twitched in rage. "Oh, such stupidity. Have you not learnt your lesson from Ogiwara, Tetsuya?"

Kuroko clenched his hands into fists. "Never bring him up again," he replied in his ever-calm voice. "Please let go of my brother."

"Oh?" Haizaki seemed genuinely amused. "And what shall I get in return?" He took a moment to ponder, much to Kuroko's disgust. "I know!" The man suddenly shouted gleefully. "Your life for your brother's! Do agree, Tetsuya!" His eyes gleamed cruelly. Haizaki knew that Kuroko would agree, seeing from his love for his sibling.

Shocked was evident on the Miracles' faces. The move Haizaki played was the lowest of low. He was up to something. The very thought of what he had in store made the group want to torture the man into insanity.

Akashi was especially disgusted. His mismatched eyes narrowed in anger as he glared at Haizaki. He was not going to fulfil his side of the deal for sure. There was something that was not right. But right now, he could only stand there. In the little time that Akashi had known Kuroko, he knew that the man would not forgive him should he intervene. Akashi does not know why he cared about the assassin's thoughts about his so much, but he was going to go with his instincts. So all he did was stand still, hand gripping his gun until his knuckles turned white.

"Fine." The clear voice cut through the air like a knife. All the eyes turned to the owner of the voice, to find Kuroko Tetsuya. His hair shadowed his eyes, making it impossible for any of the room's inhabitants to judge the assassin's expression. His head lifted to reveal determined cerulean eyes. "I want my brother to be at our side first, before I come to you. This is my only condition."

Haizaki blinked, and then he leered. "Deal. Go, go, little boy~" He shoved Mayuzumi towards the group, eyes filled with greedy glee. Mayuzumi stumbled to Kuroko's side drunkenly, his steps disorganised and broken. Kuroko's eyes narrowed slightly; his sibling was drugged.

When Mayuzumi was finally secured by Murasakibara's large hands, Kuroko walked towards Haizaki. He had discarded his weapons onto the dirty tiles of the room, showing that he posed no threat. His heart was pounding with relieve. Mayuzumi was safe! Kuroko knew that his sibling was in capable hands, so he made his way towards Haizaki with a light heart.

Akashi glared harshly as he watched Kuroko move to stand beside Haizaki. He felt something growl in him at the sight. It made him furious, the sight of Kuroko standing next to that _thing_. Oh, how Akashi wanted to _crush_ that little shrimp for forcing the proud assassin into this position. His grip on his gun tightened with a crack, startling Kise, who stood beside him. The blonde threw Akashi a worried look, which he ignored in favour to watching the scene unfold in front of him.

What happened the next second shocked everybody; Haizaki gave a wicked laugh, and turned to Kuroko. The gun in his hand was not pointed at Kuroko, but in the direction of the Miracles. The moment that Murasakibara realised what was happening, he moved to shield Mayuzumi. But it was already too late.

The sound of a single shot being fired echoed through the room like some sort of evil beat of death. Kuroko turned slowly, eyes wide in shock at he confirmed what he believed to have happened. What he saw made everything turn red; his brother – _his only fucking family_, was limp in the arms of somebody. A red hole was in his head, and crimson liquid flowed from the wound.

It was a shot straight through the head. There was no way that his brother could have survived that. Kuroko felt bile rise up his throat, and he gulped, turning to Haizaki. "What… What was that?" His voice went from a murmur to a sudden shout, startling those who were not prepared.

Haizaki only smirked. "Punishment for not completing the mission," he laughed, dodging the bone-breaking kick that Kuroko directed at his skull.

Kuroko could hear nothing else but his own breathing, and he could feel nothing else but the burning fury in his body. The only person he was focused on was the _son of a bitch _in front of him who took his brother's life. He feigned a kick to the right, and simultaneously brought his left fist up to crash it into Haizaki's head. To his disappointment, the hit did not land and only hit thin air.

Kuroko persisted, throwing kicks and punches to his greatest ability. He could register somewhere in his subconscious screams and shouts of panic as the rest of the Miracles fought to the best of their abilities, taking out foe after foe. But Kuroko did not care, all he wanted to do was to brutally murder the man in front of him.

Somehow, at the corners of his eyes, Kuroko caught sight of a man sneaking up behind Kise. At that time, his body moved by pure instinct. He dashed from mid-kick aiming at Haizaki to deliver a deadly punch in the skull to the man who was about to stab the blonde. Kuroko could feel the bone beneath his fist break and smash into pieces as he killed the man, hissing a deadly curse at the pain in his fist the blow caused.

Kuroko turned to the shocked Kise, and gave him a reproachful look for not being careful. It was all that he did before he dashed after Haizaki again. But his distraction had allowed time for guards to circle Haizaki in a protective ring. Kuroko paid the guns no heed, and stabbed a man through the heart with a dagger that he had snatched from the man who was attacking Kise. The target dropped to the ground, dead before he hit the tiles.

Kill after kill, Kuroko delivered a hard kick to the chest of an extremely stubborn attacker, knocking the air out of him before using the dagger in his hand to stab the man through the head. Kuroko did not hesitate in his movements. He read the air as he turned around to punch another attacker in the face, knocking him out and probably giving the guy a bad head injury.

It took a few minutes for Kuroko to wipe out the horde of attackers. And by the time he was finished, the assassin was panting, body drenched in blood. Kuroko was tiring, but his thirst for blood had not yet disappeared.

He _needed_ to kill more. He _needed_ to satisfy the beast inside of him that screamed in pain at this brother's death. Kuroko could not deny this beast; he could not deny himself.

Eyes wide with madness, Kuroko looked up at the cause of his misery; Haizaki. "I hate you," he panted, pointing his dagger at the man. "I hate you," he repeated, feeling tears slide down his cheeks. Kuroko could feel the distant pain in his chest, but he ignored it. "Die." With that, Kuroko lunged at the smirked man in front of him. A cry of rage and sadness and something else ripped from Kuroko's lips, savage and unforgiving.

He was so close, so _close_ to revenge! Kuroko felt his lips twist into a grin of victory as he approached Haizaki. He was sure to win-! But then, a twinge of sharp pain made itself known in both of Kuroko's legs. He felt himself suddenly topple to the ground, and Kuroko spat out a curse as he hit the tiles painfully.

Oh, how he wanted to get up and kill that man! But every single time Kuroko tried to stand, his legs denied him. A quick look told the assassin all that he needed to know; bullet wound in both legs. Kuroko snarled, forcing himself up with his elbows as he glared up at the smirking Haizaki. His gaze was one of pure hatred, a promise of revenge was clear as he met the eyes of the man. Kuroko was furious with himself; he had let down his guard at the last moment. Such carelessness had led to this humiliation!

Haizaki smirked down at the bleeding assassin. "Nice try," he murmured vainly, smirking stretching wider. "But not good enough." With that, he turned with a flourish, and clicked his fingers. The room went dark with a sudden flash, temporarily blinding Kuroko, and the rest of the Miracles. When the lights came back on again, the dreadful man was nowhere to be seen.

Kuroko let out a curse, his voice breaking as he let out his rage with a punch to the floor. He laid on the ground, cursing his own carelessness and stupidity as he let his blood drain out of him. Kuroko could not believe it. His brother was dead and he could not even extract revenge. It made him hate himself so much. Kuroko could feel tears of frustration and anger build up behind his shut eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

He could hear footsteps approaching him, and Kuroko begrudgingly looked up. It was Midorima. The sniper was covered in blood that was not his own, and he was pointing a gun straight at Kuroko. "The deal was that you die when the mission finishes," the sniper snapped, "It is now your turn to die."

* * *

**Im sorry i had no idea wtf i just wrote gah does that even count as a fighting scene im so sorry im so tired fuaaah crappy ending i know soooooorrry its like bloody midnight here**

**Anyways, I'm so happy cos I got 1 review just then! Thank you! Anyhow, please do drop in a review to tell me how I did. I will update tomorrow night if I get a good amount of reviews (lol does this count as blackmail)!**

**I want to wake up with my inbox full of reviews (dis is ma wet dream)...**

**Apologies for any mistakes! I didn't beta it...**

**Love you all!**

**-Rem**


	10. Decisions

"_Nice try," Haizaki smirked, "But not good enough."_

"_The deal was that when the mission is complete, you die," Midorima snapped, "It is now your turn to die."_

* * *

Kuroko stared blankly at Midorima; he had forgotten that he had agreed to being killed at the end of the operation with all of the events occurring. He supposed that he was supposed to be terrified, right now, staring up the barrel of the gun that was about to end his life. Kuroko, after all, had nearly been swallowed by his fear of death the night before.

But right now, he could not feel anything. The assassin just felt… blank. Like a plain piece of paper, with no cause. That's right, Kuroko told himself, his only cause for living was not alive now. He was dead, lying on the cold floor with a bullet wound through his head. So, no. Kuroko did not feel fear for his own death. He just wanted this to end. The pain, the suffering, _everything_.

He could see Midorima tightening his grip on the trigger, preparing to shoot. Kuroko closed his eyes slowly, letting a small smile grace his face. Soon, he will be able to join his brother. Just one single shot. Kuroko ignored the nagging feeling in the back of his head that told him he could still take revenge; seek out Haizaki again and kill him. It was all too late now, too late for anything.

The sound of a gun being fired echoed through the room, breaking the deathly silence from the moment before. Kuroko clenched his eyes shut and braced himself for the burning pain, but it never came. How strange, Kuroko thought, was this what death was like? But no, he could still feel the burning in his legs and the cold tiles beneath his palms. How could this be? He should be dead by now, a bullet through the heart could not take that long to kill. Midorima could not have missed, he _was_ the Miracle sniper. So how could this be?

Slowly opening his eyes, as though he could not believe it, Kuroko warily took in his surroundings. He was still in the coldly lit room. His brother's body was still on the ground. Akashi, Aomine and Murasakibara were still standing in the position that he had last seen them in. But something was missing… Kuroko turned towards Midorima with an agonisingly slow pace. He did not was to move too fast in case he did something wrong.

What Kuroko saw made he do a double take; the sniper was standing in his firing position, a smoking gun in hand. His arm, which was originally pointed at Kuroko before, was roughly pushed to the side by a certain blonde model. Kise Ryouta. Kuroko decided that the man must had moved at the last second to push the gun aside; saving his life. His action was obviously unexpected by everybody. Kise did not usually act recklessly like that. For him to do such a thing was a first.

"Why?" Kuroko asked, staring up at the blonde. "Why did you do that?" He wanted to know so badly. After he was captured by Akashi, he had not spoken a single word to the blonde at all. There was no obligation for Kise to save his life.

Midorima seemed to be wanting the answer, too. "Kise," he growled, "He is a threat. It is our job to eliminate threats. It is our job as Akashi's miracles to make sure of that. Why have you done this?" The sniper had a large scowl on his face to display his anger and irritation. He had not expected to be stopped, and he was now out of bullets. Curse that foolish blonde.

Kise started, as though he was surprised that the two would even ask such questions. "Did you not see, Midorimacchi?" he asked, grip on the other's arm tightening. "Kurokocchi there saved my life a few moments ago! He even let Haizaki to do so!" Kise's voice rose to a higher volume. "Akashicchi is our boss, but remember the thing that he taught us! It is a life for a life! You cannot just kill Kurokocchi like that after he risked his own life to save mine!" The copy-cat glared at Midorima with determination in his golden eyes. Kuroko had wasted his chance of obtaining revenge to save him, a person he never did talk to. Kise could not overlook this fact. The assassin was kind, and Kise cannot simply let a person as selfless as that die. Even if mean facing the wrath of the Miracles, Kise had decided that he would protect the person who carelessly threw away his revenge and his last chance at fulfilling a wish before dying to save a stranger.

As a child, Kise had never been treated this way. He was always surrounded by the crowd because of his looks and skills. But they never did care for him as himself. They would abandon Kise at any moment without notice. And those people would certainly not throw away their last hope and chance to save a stranger's life. Kise had grown up believing that the whole world was this way. But when this man, Kuroko Tetsuya, had thrown away his only chance of revenge to save him, all that Kise had believed in shattered. Kuroko had shown him that even selfish humans could be kind. He had given Kise a second chance at life with that punch. Now it was Kise's turn to do the same to the assassin.

Midorima glared at the blonde, but he did not move to kill the blunette. After hearing the man's speech, he felt conflicted deep inside. Kuroko Tetsuya was a major threat to Akashi. He has the potential to break into the man's shell and worm his way into his heart. The sniper knew the dangers of letting somebody into your heart. You will be totally vulnerable to attacks, no matter how strong your mental self was. That was proved by Akashi himself, long ago. He did not want that to happen again. This was the reason that he want Kuroko to be dead. He could not let harm approach Akashi and break him again. He treasured the other like one would a sibling, after all.

The decision to kill Kuroko was immediate. But then the assassin had to go and save one of the Miracles' lives. That Midorima could not overlook. The Generation of Miracles' philosophy was "a life for a life". Not to mention, to throw away an only chance at revenge to save a possible enemy's life? That was pure kindness. It made Midorima have second thoughts about the personality of Kuroko Tetsuya. He may be the only person who is capable of fully mending Akashi's heart.

But if the sniper thought wrong, and Kuroko turned out like _her_, Akashi would break. And this time, the Miracles would not be able to piece him back together. Midorima could feel a migraine build up, and he groaned. The assassin did save Kise's life. He could not be that horrible if he did that.

Still, Midorima decided to look for guidance. He looked towards Akashi, eyes silently asking for support and a choice. Akashi's gaze was strong, and he stared right back. The message was clear. Midorima let a small, wistful sigh escape his lips, and turned to face Kuroko again. "Come on," he murmured, suddenly tired, "You are bleeding to death. We need to patch the wounds." With that, he helped the assassin into a sitting position so he could better access the wounds.

It only took the sniper-turned-medic a few minutes to apply enough pressure to secure bandages to stop the flow of blood. He announced that he would need more equipment to be able to properly clean up the wounds. Midorima ignored the confused looks that he received from Kuroko, and wordlessly picked him up.

"There is nothing left for us here," the sniper turned to face Akashi, "They knew that we were coming. Any trace of information would be gone." There was nothing left, Midorima conveyed, so they should leave quickly.

Akashi nodded, and the rest of the Miracles glanced at their leader for the silent order, eyes flashing when the message was received. In sync, the group turned towards the exit, leaving the room. They did not look back at the corpses that they had left behind, not once.

Kuroko could barely keep his eyes open. The loss of blood and the events of the day had made it impossible for him to stay awake. Exhaustion washed over the assassin's body, and he let himself lean again the chest he was carried against. He could mourn over his brother later. Right now, he was _so tired._ Phrases of conversation passed by Kuroko's ears, but he could not process the information in his tired state.

For the whole mile back to the car, Kuroko had the sensation of flying. He was not running, something told him. He must be carried. Briefly, Kuroko wondered about the warm and caring touch of the person who carried him, but soon, darkness overtook him and he fell into oblivion.

Midorima simply ignored the now-asleep assassin against his chest, and continued to run at an equal pace alongside his comrades.

'_I hope that you would not regret your decision to keep Kuroko alive, Akashi.' _He thought to himself, tightening his grip on the limp man in his arms.

As if sensing his thoughts, Akashi moved to run alongside the sniper. "I won't," he murmured. "I won't."

* * *

**Lol there was basically nothing there. Please forgive me. But thank you all for those wonderful reviews!**

**Truth be told, I forced myself to type this up today. I am extremely exhausted. The year 12s are graduating and we have this tradition called "Muck Up Day" which lasts for 4 days. It consists of stink bombs in classrooms, condoms on doors, summoning satan, water balloons waiting at the exit after school just to name a few. While this is fun, it tires the crap out of me. three more days to go...**

**Anyways, I don't think I'll be able to update tomorrow as I have to do an assignment due the day after *haven't even started* *gets shot***

**But, yeah. This is just a bit of stuff...**

**Do you wonder who "she" is to Akashi and what had happened to "Ogiwara"?**

**Lol honestly I have no idea either... So if you have one, put it in the review?**

**Okay, I lied, I have a basic idea. Feel free to make a guess!**

**Love you all!**

**-Rem**


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